October 2, 2014

Hearing Loss in Noisy Workplaces.

Hearing Loss in Noisy Workplaces.

Hearing loss in noisy workplaces.

Many people work in noisy workplaces, but what makes a vibrant and energetic workplace into an environment that causes hearing loss? Have you ever wondered if you’re going deaf just working for a living?According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), four million workers go to work each day and endure hearing damaging noise for much of their workday. Another 10 million people in the U.S. have noise related hearing loss. While work related hearing loss continues to be a workplace safety issue, the effort of implementing preventative measures is largely up to the individual workers.

Hearing Regulation is Limited

Occupational health regulations for chronic diseases like noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) are generally limited. In fact the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has only two regulations pertaining to hearing protection devices and some industries are exempt including the construction industry. OSHA requires hearing protection only when noise exposure reaches 90 decibels (dBs) or higher. Continuous exposure to 85 dBs or higher can irreversibly damage the cells in the inner-ear and lead to hearing loss.

Hearing Loss is Often Misinterpreted

Hearing loss affects far more than your ability to get the job done after all. It affects your overall quality of life and impacts your social wellbeing, your relationships, and your enjoyment of simple pleasures such as listening to music, children playing, or the crunch of leaves in the fall.Adults with untreated hearing loss from noisy workplaces may not recognize that their hearing is the cause of some of the problems they are experiencing. Prior to their hearing loss being discovered, adults reported worry, anxiety, insecurity, depression, fatigue and tension as how they felt. In effect, they internalized the negative signals they were receiving due to their difficulty hearing.

Custom Protection to Halt Hearing Damage

Given that hearing regulations are a long way off, increased awareness is necessary. Protecting your hearing with custom earplugs means having substantially better protection and a more comfortable fit than you can get from your standard earplugs. By working with an audiologist, you also get a hearing test to see if your hearing has been damaged, so you can take steps to halt the damage.If you are exposed to continuous noise at your place of work and want to protect your hearing, give us a call.[box]NEED SOUND ADVICE? CALL DR. WYNENS AT 404-277-8208. Or reach us by email atdrwynens@safeguardhearing.com[/box]

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